Bunker

Long exposure photography has become popular as digital cameras have become more common and one of the most fun and interactive type of slow shutter imagery is Steel Wool photography. A simple technique with a few cheap items can produce exciting images limited only by your imagination.

The final installment of the Discover Kualoa event featured the small valley of Kualoa that resides between Ka’a’awa and Hakipu’u. Along with live performances and various food vendors, 4 tours were also available including guided tours of the movie sets and props, the petting zoo, and a rarely used hike that takes you to just below Kanehoalani.

I am fortunate that my job allows me to have a very flexible schedule. I’m a lecturer at the local University here, and so my schedule is very much like that of your typical college student. This means that I have a reasonable amount of free time on my hands. Oh yeah, I also still get winter break. Yes, being a University instructor is awesome.

Puu Manamana gets a lot of hype. Stuart Ball calls it “one of the most difficult hikes on the island.” Many have said that it offers some of the most spectacular hiking views that Oahu has to offer. Marvin went as far as to say that the “views are simply unrivaled on Oahu.” Heck, it was even featured as the banner image on Kaleo Lancaster’s Island Trails (the photo has recently been replaced). I had the opportunity to do a variation of the Puu Manamana trail and have to admit that, for the most part, the above statements are true.

Note: The Diamond Head ridge trail route described here is not a sanctioned hike. It is illegal to hike this trail and to do so would be cause for citation or arrest. There is also a risk of falling boulders and landslides. As our disclaimer partially reads: “I’m not your daddy, these are dangerous as sh*t hikes, even the simple ones, if you got [insert applicable disorder, disease, or physical impairments] don’t even think about it yo.” Also, consider these tips on Hiking Safely In Hawaii. Mahalo.

Some hikes, you just shouldn’t do. Climbing Diamond Head via a non-traditional route is one of them. It’s not because the trail is particularly hard, or dangerous, or excessively long like some of the hikes we’ve posted here, but rather because this hike is not lawfully kosher. That said, this non-traditional Diamond Head route is extremely fun, sometimes dangerous, and indeed offers stellar views of Honolulu and Waikiki. Like the Sacred Falls post, this post is pure fiction. We had fun with photoshop, all the while imagining what it would be like to climb Diamond Head Crater at night and then traverse her entire rim.

The traditional Diamond Head Summit Trail, really, isn’t a hiker’s hike. The Diamond Head trail is easy and it’s short. For those reasons alone, it is probably the most popular tourist hike on the island of Oahu. Oh, and let’s not forget the famous views of Waikiki Beach that you are awarded with once you reach the summit of Diamond Head.